Music soothes the soul.. Reggae Dave & The Iries on tour. Pic: Josh Grant
You might have heard: one of the NT’s best-loved music legends has just finished a rare tour.
Dave Asera – affectionately known as ‘Reggae Dave’ and a 2009 Indigenous Music Award ‘Hall of Fame’ Inductee – was on the road during October with his band The Iries.
Reggae Dave‘s band members included Sean Hutton (drums), Ken Hutton (sax), Tony Joyce (guitar) and Brendan Hicks (bass).
With “irie” meaning “feeling good”, “no worries” and “to be at total peace with your state of being”, the tour was aptly called ‘Music Soothes The Soul’..
Originally hailing from the Torres Strait Islands and now Darwin-based, Dave is a frequent marquis name at the Top End’s big ticket arts and culture festivals, such as Darwin, Garma, Gattjiirk in Millingibi and the like.
It’s not too often Reggae Dave performs further south than the Berrimah line.. But with a swag of new original material to try out – beyond the bread n’ butter covers of the “easy listening” circuit in Darwin – the time was right for Dave to take his new originals to audiences further afield.
A talented songwriter with a powerful voice, Reggae Dave is an accomplished musician with a far-reaching reputation. He launched his tour – made possible through the Artback NT/Music NT Music Touring Program - at Darwin live music haunts Happy Yess and Darwin Ski Club.
With a story about his tour in the NT News on the eve of his tour, Dave and band hit the road mid-October to travel further south, to Tennant Creek, Alice Springs, Katherine and Yulara.
The tour was managed by Josh Grant. He sent Music NT an update and some pictures, from the road..
“As part of the Music Touring Program managed by Artback NT and Music NT, local legend Reggae Dave gave the Territory a taste of his new material, showcasing a new band, and a whole lot of new songs.”
“Reggae Dave & The Iries cruised through the NT with a short but sweet tour, touching down in Yulara and traveling to Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Katherine.”
- Reggae Dave Asera, pictured in the NT News.
“Many thanks to the local venues supporting Territory music: Yulara Resort, Gap View Hotel, Memorial Club Tennant Creek and Katherine Country Club.”
“The band was pumping, the crowd was dancing and Dave was on fire!”
” ‘Music Sooths Soul’ was the tour, and it did exactly that.”
“Reggae Dave & The Iries performed two hour sets that left the crowd shouting for more”.
“With their original blend of roots, reggae and blues, Reggae Dave & The Iries previewed their new songs in anticipation of their long awaited new album, to be recorded this coming monsoon season.”
“A seasoned artist, Dave rarely gets to take his music on the road. With support from a fantastic band – including Sean and Ken Hutton, Tony Joyce and Brendan Hicks – audiences were more than responsive.”
Join the Reggae Dave Appreciation Society on Facebook. Apply for a Music Touring Program Grant for 2012.
Words: Megan Spencer & Josh Grant. Sources: NT News, Happy Yess website, Music NT, Artback NT. Thanks to Josh Grant for the report, and also to Vanessa Hutchins.
